Half to john j



(No Model.)

P. J. BARRETT.

OUT-OUT.

No. 499,497. Patented June 18, 1893.

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6 v lNVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK J. BARRETT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOJOHN J. FRAXVLEY AS PRESIDENT OF THE BOSTON SOCIETY OF REDEMPTORISTFATHERS, OF SAME PLACE.

CUT -OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,497, dated June 13,1893.

Application filed April 3, 1893. Serial No. 468,829. (No model.)

To a, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PATRICK J. BARRETT, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and ImprovedCut-Out, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of electric cut-outsor fuse boxes, which are provided with conducting wires through whichthe current is passed to a lamp or other piece of mechanism, and whichconductors are of sufficient capacity to supply a current to the lamp orother mechanism but which,if the current is suddenly increased to anygreat extent,will burn out,thus breaking the circuit and saving thelamp.

The object of my invention is to produce a cut-out or fuse box of thisclass, which is of very simple construction, which is especiallyapplicable to incandescent lamp circuits, but which may be used forother purposes, and which is adapted to carry a great many fusibleconductors arranged to have one conductor quickly brought into positionto close the circuit after another or others have been burned out.

To these ends my invention consists in certain features of constructionand combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the cut-out or fuse box embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan, on the line 2-2 in Fig. 4, of therevoluble drum carried by the box. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on theline 33 in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a central cross section through thecut-out, on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross section on theline 55 in Fig. 6, showing a modified construction. Fig. 6 is a crosssection on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a cross section on theline 77 in Fig. 6.

The cut-out is provided with a suitable base 10 which is preferably ofwood, but may be of any suitable material, and this base is secured bymeans of screws 11 or equivalent fastenings to a circular block or drum12, which is of insulating material, and which is inclosed in arevoluble case or box 13, the latter having preferably a hub 14 whichturns on the hub of the block or drum 12. The block or drum 12 isprovided with an annular recess 15 which extends around it near itsouter end, and projecting through this recess and arrangedcircumferentially around the block or drum are conductors 16, which arepreferably formed of screws and each of these connects by a fusible wire17,with a central pole or main conductor 18, which extendslongitudinally through the block or drum 12 and which is preferablyprovided with a head 19 with which the wires 17 contact.

Each wire 17 is of a size capable of carrying sufficient current tosupply the lamp or other mechanism with which the cut-out connects, andit will be readily seen that any desired number of these wires 17 andconductors 16 may be used. The central pole or conductor 18 is held inplace, preferably, by nuts 19 which are screwed to its outer end and itconnects with one of the circuit wires 20.

On the inner side of the case or box 13 is a spring contact brush 21which is adapted to engage or contact with the conductors or screws 16,as best shown in Fig. 3, and it will be seen that by turning the case orbox the brush may be brought successively into contact with theconductors or screws and it also acts as a pawl, and its end, byengaging the conductors, prevents the case from being turned except inone direction. The case 13 connects with the other circuit wire 22 andboth the wires 20 and 22 are held in an insulating collar 23 which fitsthe hub 14 of the case 13 and which has an opening 24. for the passageof the wires. The wire 20 is adapted to connect with the line and thewire 22 with the lamp in the usual way, or the arrangement may bereversed if desired. Under nor mal conditions, the circuit is throughthe wire 20, the pole 18, one of the fusible wires 17, a conductor 16,the brush 21, the case 13, and the wire 22 to the lamp. If, however, thecurrent is suddenly and excessively increased,

the wire 17 burns out, thus breaking the circuit and preventing the lampor other mechanism from being injured, and the circuit may be againclosed by simply turning the case or box 13 slightly so as to bring thebrush 21 into contact with the next conductor 16. In this way thecut-out may be successively moved until all the fusible wires have beenburned out, and as the conductors may be provided with a great many ofthem, the arrangement provides for an instantaneous shifting of thecut-out and, moreover, the construction of the cut-out is such that thewires may be Very easily removed as they are held on the surface of theblock or drum 12.

The modified form of cut-out shown in Figs. 5 t0 7 is the same inprinciple as the one already described, and the only essentialdifference is that the fusible wires are held on the face of acylindrical insulating box instead of on its ends. As illustrated, thismodified form has a suitable base 25 which may be secured convenientlyto any support and on it is a cylindrical insulating block 26 throughwhich extends the pivot bolt 28 on which the block turns. At the outerend of the block or drum 26 is a conducting collar 30 carried by thepivot bolt, and in this form of cut-out a contact spring 31,substantially like that already described, is used, and is adapted tosuccessively touch the contacts 32 which are arranged at the inner endof the cylinder or drum 26 and which connect by fusible wires 33 withthe conducting collar 30. A wire 34 connects with the pivot bolt 28 anda binding post 35 is adapted to connect with the other wire, and thispost also carries the contact brush 31 so that the current passesthrough the wire 34, the collar 30, one of the wires 33 and contacts orconductors 32, the spring 31 and the binding post 35. lVhen one of thewires 33 has been burned out, the cut out is shifted by simply turningthe cylinder or drum 26 so as to bring a new conductor into contact withthe brush 31.

The two forms of the device illustrated, show that the drum carrying thefusible wires maybe revolved or that the fusible wires may be held in astationary position and the contact brush for engaging them may berevolved, without changing the nature of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A cut out comprising an attaching plate or base10, a circular block 12 of insulating material secured to the face ofthe base and provided with a central aperture, a circular series ofconductors extending from the inner face of the said block parallel withits central aperture and exposed at its periphery, a central pole orconductor extending through the said central aperture, fusible wiresconnecting the inner end of the central pole with the inner ends of saidseries of conductors, and a conducting casing inclosing and turning uponthe periphery of said block and provided with a spring on its inner sideto contact with any one of said circular series of conductors: saidcasing and central pole being adapted to have the circuit wiresconnected to them, substantially as set forth.

2. A cut out comprising an attaching plate or base 10a circular block12, of insulating material secured to the face of the base and providedwith a central aperture, an annular flange around the outer end thereof,and a pcripheral recess, a headed central pole or conductor 18 extendingthrough said block from its inner side and provided on its outer endwith nuts 19, a circular series of conductors 16 extending from theinner side of the block into said peripheral recess, fusible wires onthe inner face of the block and held thereto by the inner headed ends ofthe central and other conductors, aconducting case 13 iuclosing saidblock and turning thereon, said case having a hub like flange 14,receiving the similar portion of the block 12 and a spring 21 to contactwith any one of the conductors 16, the insulating cap 23 fitting on thehub 11 and provided with an opening 24; for the passage of the wires tothe conductor 18 and hub 14, substantially as set forth.

PATRICK J. BARRETT.

\Vitnesses:

PATRICK OLoUer-ILIN, MICHAEL O. DRISCOLL.

